Tuesday 8 November 2011

Princess Charlotte's "Pearl Dress", 1817

The one of the maddest projects I've ever come up with was destined for ball in the Tyszkiewicz palace in Trakai, Lithuania.


I made a gown based on the Princess Charlotte's 1817 yellow silk "Pearl Dress". So it is similary beaded in faux pearls and "white silk crimped gauze", but out of velvet - I fell in love with it for it's wonderful deep blue color.





The beading at the hem took approximately 170 hours or 5 weeks time.  And lots of pearls in two sizes - 12000 in fact. Give or take a few.
I'm proud of having actually finished it on time %)



The design pattern will be finished soon, so as the bottom embellishment and the belt, and I'll wear it once again.

And here are more pictures, taken from a book " In Royal Fashion", by Kay Staniland.